Why? Why do people see others in different ways? Why are people looked down upon? Why must there be racial stereotypes? Why must there be gender stereotypes? Why must there be any stereotypes at all? Why?

If I were the mayor of my town, I'd work to eliminate gender gaps and racial assumptions.

Gender equality is a well spoken out issue; yet, our society is progressing slowly. Women have worked their blood, sweat, and tears to ensure that every woman can vote; that every girl in school can play the same sport as a boy; that every women is entitled to the same rights as men. And, we’ve come really far. But, some mindsets are still present.

Some people think that a women’s only purpose is to maintain a family, but a woman has a purpose just like anyone else. She has a purpose to make a change in the world just like any man. But, many don’t take that into consideration. In fact, ⅔ of the illiterate people in the world are women. What does this mean? It means that women receiving an education isn’t considered a priority. Also, globally,  women in the labor market are still earning 24 percent less than men. How are we going to march towards equality for all if half the population is considered secondary by some? I say that before anything else, women’s equality should be fought for first, especially in countries where women are still being seen as those who live for the family and not to find a special purpose. Girls and women should be encouraged and empowered by their community to learn and work right alongside boys and men.

Women not receiving equal opportunity, not only does this hurt the women herself, it also hurts the economies of countries. Women fully participating in labor forces would increase most national growth rates, even by double digits.

Not only is the prejudice against women atrocious, so is the racism in our country and around the world. According to a study led by researchers at Stanford, Harvard, and the Census Bureau, the gap between the income of white and black men are significant, no matter the individual’s upbringing. Whereas, this gap doesn't exist between black and white women. And, there are many prejudiced mindsets that people have against other races. There’s an equal number of good and bad people in every single other race in this world. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what race you are, what gender you are, or anything else you can’t control. What matters is the compassion and respect you give people and how hard you work to achieve your goals.

But, these are just the facts and my opinions. How would I fix these issues if I were mayor?

In order to create an impact in society, we have to address schools. Schools are where people form their beliefs and the future society of the town is formed. It is the basis and the building block of a community. So, a school with good morals and education will lead to a better society in the future. Therefore, as a mayor, I will talk with the principals of the schools to make the following changes.

In school, how would I address gender gaps? One of the major areas where there is a gap in a school’s society is sports, especially football, cheerleading, and volleyball. All these sports are only opened to, or dominated by, one gender. Volleyball, in most schools, is only opened to girls to play competitively. This stereotypes this as a “girl sport.” So, when we play volleyball in gym, the boys still think they’re better at it because they think that is it’s a “girl” sport! On top of that, let’s look at another point of view. What if a boy really liked to play volleyball? What if they wanted to compete? We should have these facilities opened to any gender! As mayor, I will work to start boys volleyball as a more common competing sport in my county. However, the major stereotypes lie with football and cheerleading. Why do girls have to cheer on the boys when they play? Why can’t girls and boys cheer on girls and boys while they play? So, as mayor, I would make it mandatory that at least a fourth of the team should be the gender that is normal excluded in the sport. If this cannot happen, the team won’t be able to play for the season. It sounds harsh, but if these rules are implemented, then the previous members of the team will work hard to recruit members of the opposite gender.

To address different types of stereotypes, especially racial and other major ones, I will work to open a mandatory class taken once in every school in our town: elementary, middle, and high school. This class will be specifically monitored to make sure that kids stay interested, so they don’t disregard the class. The class that will be most accentuated is not the in high school because high schoolers have already formulated many of their opinions. Therefore, the elementary school is the best place to teach students to disregard stereotypes. In this class, we will watch videos that talk about combating stereotypes and bring in speakers that will talk about their experiences and point of view. The class also teaches kids that everyone is created, and will always be equal. No one should think they are better or worse than anyone else. In the high school and middle school, students will talk about their opinions and experiences so that their peers know what is going on in their lives. There will also be guest speakers in these classes.

Stereotypes and gender gaps hurt all those involved and it is crucial to eradicate all prejudices. And, I believe that in order to do this, we must start with schools and begin our mission with the youth.